Behind the Scenes - Part Three

This is the last part of the story.  If my sabbatical worked, I'll be back next Monday with a new story.  If not, there may be another repeat. 

How was your week?  Hard to believe summer is winding down.  I am looking forward to cooler temps but I've been told not to expect anything until the end of next month. I hate wishing my life away so I guess I will just grin and bear it.

Part One - Part Two

Behind The Scenes - Conclusion

The weekend gig in Dallas was a mistake. When he rejoined the group, he realized what he had and what he was giving up. Unfortunately, fate stepped in and changed the course of his life.

It was true what was written and heard about roadies.  They were a determined group, and although it was fun at first to have such rabid fans; it soon lost its luster. Some of them would maneuver a band member into a compromising situation and then had a friend take a picture and sell it to one of the “celebrity” publications. Rumors of affairs and one-night stands that never happened were often the cause of many a marriage break up.

Wives and girlfriends had to have thick skins, and lots of trust in their guy and Cindy had that for years.  However, now she was older, and Cindy worried about the constant barrage of young, sexy girls throwing themselves at him.  Lonely guys often fell prey to temptation. Even though Cindy should have known better, when the story made the front pages of the “celebrity rags” that Randy Rivers of River's Rangers was back on the market, she still fell victim to believing the rumors.

When Rowdy explained it was all untrue, Cindy was too hurt to listen and told him she wanted a break. She said she would take the kids and move into town.  He didn’t want to uproot Cindy and the kids; so he moved into the foreman’s quarters on the ranch.  This arrangement allowed Rowdy access to his kids when he was home.  Cindy agreed that as long as he honored her wishes to stay away from the house, the children could stay with him when he was in town.  As hard as it was on him, and hoping she would eventually come to her senses, he had honored this agreement and hadn’t set foot in the main house since the split.

Buck and Ashley were devastated by their parents split. They got to spend time with their dad because he still lived at the ranch between road trips, but it wasn't enough.  Even after five years, they still wished their parents would get back together.  It's what Rowdy wanted too. Cindy still held his heart in her hands.

PRESENT DAY

Rowdy couldn’t wait until their set was finished.  He wondered if she would come backstage or just wait until the concert was over and waited by the bus.  When the audience called for an encore, he groaned.  The band played three more numbers and Rowdy practically ran off the stage.

Cindy wasn’t backstage.  He asked a couple of people if they had seen her, and everybody told him there hadn’t been anybody backstage asking for him.  He began to think that maybe his imagination had played tricks on him.  He had an hour before they were due back on stage, and he went out for some air.

Standing away from the crowd, he saw her.  He smiled, and she smiled back at him as he walked toward her. It was a little awkward; he had all he could do to keep from enveloping her in his arms. 

“Hello Rowdy,” she said in the sweet, sultry voice he loved so well.

“Hello, Cindy.  You look great, but then you always did, even with a dirty face and hair all askew from working at the ranch.”

“Thank you for that.”

“What are you doing here Cindy?  Everything’s all right, isn’t it.  Jeb would have let me know if anything was wrong.”

“I need to talk to you,” she told him.  “I didn’t want to do it over the phone.”

Suddenly, he had a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach, and it felt as if the ground had just dropped beneath his feet.

“Sure, do you want to do it now or meet me later?”

“I’d like to meet you later.  I’m staying at a hotel in town, The Carlisle.  Why don’t you meet me afterward?  I’m in Room 420.”

“Sure, are you going to give me any clues?”

“We need to talk,” was all she told him.

The next two hours and forty-five minutes lasted for days.  He kept messing up the chords and getting dirty looks from his brother. 

“What the hell is the matter with you?  You keep fucking up.” Wes asked his brother during a break between songs.

“Cindy’s here.”

Wes nodded his understanding and told Joe and Jack to be aware and ready to take over at any time.  He knew how his brother still felt about Cindy and her showing up at a venue didn’t bode well for Rowdy.

The minute the show ended he bolted. Through his manager, he arranged for a bag, a cab, and a room when he returned from meeting Cindy earlier.  He grabbed a quick shower, changed clothes and hopped on the elevator. He rapped on the door and heard her voice.

“It’s me, Cindy.”   He heard the slip lock slide back, and the door opened.

Once again, he had all he could do not to take her in his arms.  He loved her as much now as the day he took her as his wife, and it was killing him that he couldn’t act on it.

“How was the show?” she asked.

“Like all the rest, over,” he answered.  “How are the kids?  I Skyped with Buck the other day.”

“He mentioned it.  Ashley is busy with her school project.  Difficult to believe next year she will be entering high school.”

“Okay, Cindy.  My stomach is in knots, and although I’m not sure I want to hear what you have to say, it needs to be said eventually.”

“This isn’t easy for me either, you know,” she told him.

“I know that.  What’s up?”

“I’m seeing someone.  It’s starting to get serious, and I want to file for divorce,” she told him.

“FUCK, FUCK, FUCK” was all he could think to say for a minute.

“Who is he?  Have the kids met him?  Do they know what you’re doing here?”

“His name is John Sanderson.  He’s the pharmacist at the local drug store.  I met him when Buck had that infection a while back.  The kids met him, and they like him, and no, they don’t know why I am here, or that I am here.  I wanted to tell you in person.  I don’t expect things to move quickly, but I didn’t want it to come as a shock when you are served with the papers.”

“Do you love him?”

“I like him well enough.”

“That’s not what I asked.  Do you love him?”  She didn’t answer him and looked away.

“So you don’t love him.”

“He’s a decent man; he likes the kids, and he is good to me, and I’m tired of being alone.”

“Have you slept with him?”

“I don’t think that is any of your concern, Rowdy?”

“You’re right, and I really don’t want an answer because I don’t want a picture of you and some other guy in my head. Is lonely an excuse to hook up with some guy you don’t love?”

“Rowdy, I’ve been waiting for five years for you to decide that I’m more important to you than the damn music.  I’m not getting any younger and John is a good man and loves me.”

“I love you too, and I’m a good man.”

“Yes, you are.  I can’t deny that.  However, John Sanderson will be in my bed every single night of my life.  Can you say that?”

“Yes,” he answered so quickly he shocked her.

“Yes, then why haven’t you done it?”

“Why didn’t you tell me you wanted to give us another chance?  You know how I feel about you; I've never held back.  I have just been honoring that damn agreement you made me sign when we separated.  I didn’t want to jeopardize not being present in my kid's lives by pressuring you into something I didn’t think you wanted.”

“I always wanted you; I didn’t want the lifestyle.”

“Well, it seems we’ve been at cross purposes,” he told her.  “What will it take for you to forget about this and take me back?”

“You know the answer to that, Rowdy.”

“Okay.”  She watched him take his phone out of his pocket and dial a number. 

“It’s me.  I’m through, do whatever you have to do.  I’ll tell the guys.”  He dialed another number.

“Wes, are Joe and Jack with you?”

Wes replied, “Yeah; we're just winding down here in the bus. Are you with Cindy?”

“Yeah.  I wanted you to know I’m quitting as of right now.  I just called Jeb and told him to do whatever is necessary.  I won’t be back this time so don’t hold my spot.  I know what’s important now,” and he ended the call.

This time, he did what he wanted to do earlier, he went over to Cindy and took her in his arms.  They melded together like hot glue.

 The following morning, Cindy and Rowdy boarded a plane headed to the Midland Airport. He called Jeb to have a car waiting for him.

“I’ll do it this time bro, but don’t forget I don’t work for you anymore,” and laughed.

“Yeah, that’s going to take some getting used to,” Rowdy said.

Cindy told him “Welcome to the real world.” He laughed and his hand found her bottom, giving her a gentle pat.

                                  *******************************

Rowdy decided to throw a big bash for friends, family, and neighbors to celebrate their being back together.  He hired a party planner and told them what he wanted; barbecue,  beer, soft drinks, and a band that did covers of Rivers Rangers.  Wes, Jack, and Joe flew in for the event, so did Jeb, who commented that he’d done a good job organizing everything without help.  Cindy piped in that he hired a party planner but he did need lots of help and laughed.  Rowdy popped her bottom when no one was looking.

During the party, Rowdy tried getting around to greet everyone.  He went up to this one older couple and introduced himself.

“Hi, I’m Rowdy Rivers.  Welcome to the party.  I’m not sure I know you.  Are you new around here?”

“Fairly new.  I’m John Sanderson, and this is my wife, Emily.”

“John Sanderson,” he repeated. “John Sanderson, the pharmacist.”

“Yes, I met your wife when she was picking up a prescription for your son Buck.”

“I see, well welcome to the area.  Hope you’re enjoying yourself.  Be sure to stick around for the fireworks.”

“We plan to,” they told him.

Rowdy went off to find Cindy.  He found her in the kitchen mixing up a batch of margaritas.

“I just met the nicest older couple,” he told her.

“Oh really, who?”  

"John Sanderson and his wife, Emily.”

The color drained from her face.  He watched her start to squirm.

“Yeah, you better squirm.  You made up that whole damn story.”

“Well, it worked, didn’t it?” 

He laughed.  “Yeah, it did.  It doesn't mean you are not going to pay the piper for that little charade. You put me through hell. Tonite, when everyone’s gone, and the kids are off doing their thing; you are going to get a spanking that’s going to light you up good. 

“Fireworks after the fireworks,” she said.

“You bet,” he told her.

“I can’t wait.”

See you later for more Aimless Ramblings.